Healing, Glowing, and Growing – One Act of Self-Care At a Time

Some days hit differently.

Not because anything dramatic happened…

not because I’m not trying hard enough…

but because my body and mind are carrying more than anyone can see.

Lately the weight has been real.

Fighting with the VA.

Trying to provide for my kids.

Watching winter show up at my door with bills that don’t care about my stress, my disability, or the fact that I’m doing everything I can just to stay afloat.

And honestly?

Some days I wake up and already feel empty.

There’s a unique kind of exhaustion that comes with surviving on limited energy while still needing to show up for everything and everyone. Trauma doesn’t clock out. Motherhood doesn’t pause. Life doesn’t wait for you to catch your breath.

And it’s in these moments — the quiet heaviness, the invisible panic, the mental fight just to make it through the day — that I’m learning something important:

Grace isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.

I used to guilt myself for the days I couldn’t push through.

I used to call myself lazy or weak for feeling drained.

But the truth is, some days are heavier because my nervous system is tired. My heart is tired. My body is tired.

And pretending otherwise doesn’t make me stronger — it just makes me sink deeper.

So today, I’m giving myself grace.

Not because everything is okay.

Not because things are suddenly easier.

But because I’m human. And being human means I’m allowed to have days where I have nothing left to give.

✨ How I’m Learning to Slow Down (Even When Life Feels Urgent)

Slowing down used to feel impossible for me — like I was falling behind or failing. But the truth is, slowing down isn’t always about stopping. It’s about softening. It’s about shifting the way I move through the day.

Here are three things I’ve been practicing:

1. Mindfulness: coming back to the moment instead of the spiral

When everything feels heavy, my mind wants to jump into the future — bills, responsibilities, worst-case scenarios.

Mindfulness pulls me back to right now.

Sometimes it’s as simple as:

• noticing my breath
• paying attention to how my body feels
• grounding myself by naming five things around me
• pausing long enough to feel my feet on the floor

It’s not magical. It doesn’t fix everything.

But it interrupts the spiral long enough for me to breathe again.

2. Self-reflection: asking what I need instead of pushing through

Instead of asking “What do I have to do next?”

I’m trying to ask:

“What do I need right now?”

Sometimes the answer is rest.

Sometimes it’s food.

Sometimes it’s silence.

Sometimes it’s crying.

Sometimes it’s stepping outside for a minute of fresh air.

Checking in with myself — honestly, without judgment — helps me respond to my needs instead of punishing myself for having them.

3. Changing my inner dialogue: speaking to myself like I would speak to someone I love

This one is the hardest.

My inner voice used to say things like:

“You should be doing more.”

“You’re falling behind.”

“You’re not strong enough.”

But I wouldn’t talk to anyone else like that.

So I’m practicing something different:

“It’s okay to rest.”

“You’re doing your best.”

“You don’t have to carry everything alone.”

“You’re allowed to be tired.”

It’s not perfect — some days the negative voice is loud — but every gentle word I choose feels like a small act of healing.

✨ If you’re feeling heavy today…

You don’t have to be productive.

You don’t have to have the answers.

You don’t have to pretend you’re okay.

You’re allowed to pause.

You’re allowed to soften.

You’re allowed to slow down — even when everything around you feels urgent.

Some days you have nothing left to give.

On those days, grace is enough.

You are enough.

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You can explore the tools I have created for my own personal healing journey here:

👉 Stan Store: https://stan.store/Shroompy

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